Balance of Power
by RogueWitch
Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

_Last time: "Deal." Faith stalked ahead, towards Opie's truck and Jax's bike. "Think my bike's ready yet?"_

Willow stared up at the ceiling of the guest bedroom in Opie Wilson's house; it had been two months since they had met, put the seal on the site, and started an explosive relationship, sometimes literally explosive. Opie's control over the powers that they awakened was getting better, which meant they no longer set off fireworks when they kissed, but the last time they got as far as the heavy petting stage of their relations, they blew the power for all of Charming for two full days, and Faith wouldn't let them forget it.

That wasn't why Willow was in the guest bedroom, though. Early on in the relationship they agreed that they would set boundaries in front of the kids; Opie had failed to do with Lyla, and regretted the strain it put on his relationship with his kids. He had thrown a woman at them; put her in their mother's place, in her bed, while he should have still been mourning her, and while they were still dealing with her loss. So, Willow rarely stayed over at the Wilson house, and insisted that Opie spend as many nights as possible at home. When Willow did stay over, it was usually because Opie couldn't be there, and she slept in the guestroom.

Opie had left the evening before with Jax, on a run up north, looking for support from some of the other Sons in the continued struggle to restore the balance to Charming. Willow felt the isolation of having Opie far away, their bond in the few months they had been together, had grown strong, and she always had the sense of him, like a hum in the back of her head. With him being so far away, it was faint, pulling at her powers to maintain the feel of it, to hold onto the control she had helped him build. It was leaving her feeling drained and cranky. It didn't help that Faith and Chibs had left for Ohio a few days before to sort out their current housing problem. The land owner who had originally been thrilled at the prospect of selling his house and land, had suddenly backed out and no amount of prodding form Sam Crow was changing that. He had on the other hand agreed to sell the land separating his property from Cara Cara, a fifteen acre plot, which included the site, but no access road. Faith was working with the New Council securing building permits and rights to build a road leading from the Cara Cara access road to their property, which they had ended up buying for as much as they had originally been quoted on the house and property. The idea was to build over the site, securing it further, but it was slow going, and though Willow and Faith had moved out of the hotel and into a short term apartment, Willow was anxious to have a real house again, preferably one where the roaches weren't big enough to pay rent.

Willow heard the door slowly push open, feeling the quiet hum of Ellie slip into the room. The girl was like a tiny feminine version of her father, and Willow could imagine her turning out to be a great deal like Tara someday, given the right tutelage. Willow was teaching her basic meditation, how to center herself, and draw and release small amounts of energy. Ellie was taking to it rather well, her young age making it easy, her father on the other hand, had a tendency to blow up light bulbs and things when he got frustrated, but it was getting better.

The girl crawled up onto the bed, sitting cross legged in her PJ's, beginning to run through her meditation. Willow reluctantly crawled out from under the warm covers, mimicking the girl's meditation pose and starting her own daily ground exercises.

"Willow," the girl broke from her meditation, leaning back on her hands, clearly something on her mind. "Do you love my dad?"

Willow looked at Ellie for a moment before answering honestly. "Yes, Sweetling, I do."

"Are you going to marry him?" the little witch asked in just an out of curiosity kind of way.

"I don't know, baby," Willow told to girl, folding her hands in her lap. "We've only known each other for a little while."

"When you marry my dad," Ellie started, completely convinced of her statement, which made Willow wonder if she knew something, or was just being a kid. "Will you become my mom?"

"No, Ellie," Willow took a moment to formulate what to say. Two months ago she hadn't thought she would ever potentially be in a situation of having a partner with children, and she was still adjusting. "Your mom will always be your mom, whether she is with you physically or not, she's here." Willow placed the girl's hand over her heart. "I would never want to take that special place from her; it's hers and hers alone."

"So, what will you be?" Ellie asked, clearly in need of something tangible to hold on to. She was too old to really need to ask these questions, but with how intangible her life had been since her mother had died, and since her father had come back, she wanted an absolute to hold on to, the reassurance that Willow loved her dad was almost enough, since he had said the same thing when she asked, but he hadn't known how to answer the 'mother' question.

"I am now, and always will be Willow, Little Bit," Willow said fondly. "No matter what happens in the future, I will be your teacher and your friend." Willow took the girl's hand lightly in hers for a moment before releasing it. "Okay, Bit, go get your brother up, it's time to get ready for school."

Willow shuffled the kids off to school, noting that while Ellie had taken to her, and was quickly becoming a great little witch, Kenny was becoming more and more withdrawn. It was a subject that she and Opie had been dancing around, but one that was going to need serious attention.

Willow swung by Gemma and Clay's to pick up Abel so that Gemma could go to work, and was sitting in Opie's living room with a text book for a grad class she was taking on Occult Mythology on correspondence through Oxford, thanks to Giles, and reflecting on her life. Two years before she was stuck in a volatile relationship with an even more volatile Slayer. A year before she was trying again with Oz, her werewolf ex, and running around the world looking for activated Slayers. Now, she sat in her biker boyfriend's living room watching his best friends son teeth on one of her wooden goddess statues, while she did her homework and contemplated after school snacks for his two kids, and she couldn't be happier. Well, she could, if Opie wasn't in Washington State.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

_Last time: Now, she sat in her biker boyfriend's living room watching his best friends son teeth on one of her wooden goddess statues, while she did her homework and contemplated after school snacks for his two kids, and she couldn't be happier. Well, she could, if Opie wasn't in Washington State._

As if conjured by her thoughts, Willow's phone started playing 'Strange Magic' causing Abel to giggle and babble.

"Hey, baby" Willow answered the phone. She could feel the goofy grin find its way to her lips. "How's Washington?"

"Wet," Opie's voice was soft and gruff all at the same time. "How are things at home?" She smiled even wider when he said home, because over the past few months Charming had become home, almost in the same way Sunnydale had been home, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Pretty good," Willow said, setting her text aside and tucking her feet up under her. "Abel's teething on Bast, but I'm sure she forgives the drool, the kids are off at school, and I'm almost done studying for my Celtic Myths class."

"How's Kenny?" the real question. Opie knew how Willow was, he could feel her, and Ellie and Willow had bonded, it was Kenny he needed to worry about.

"Reserved, withdrawn, defensive," Willow said honestly, there was no use trying to sugar coat it. "He misses his mom, I'm in the house with them a lot when you're gone, Ellie and I have this instant bond with her magic and I think he feels left out, since he still hasn't come into his." Willow took a deep breath, this wasn't the first time she and Opie had talked about Kenny's problem, but she worried about his lack of magic. "Sometimes magic skips a generation in boys, but with two magically inclined parents, whether that magic was dormant or not, he should be showing some sparks."

"Is there any reason that his magic isn't manifesting?" Opie asked, sounding as worried as Willow felt.

"Grief, anger; any strong emotion can suppress the trigger, just like it can activate it." Willow knew she wasn't being helpful. "Magic's a tricky thing Ope, and the bottom line is that Kenny and I haven't boded." Willow didn't know what to do about that either, she didn't know how to reach the boy outside of magic and computers, both things that were foreign to him.

"I think you should move in," Opie said, shocking Willow slightly. They had talked about all the reasons for her not to move in, about sending the wrong impressions to the kids, moving to fast with each other, the temptation to move their physical relationship forward, which was so tied to their magic, to the next level and blowing out all the power in town again.

"Ope, we've talked about this," Willow said, as much as she wanted to move in with her gentile giant, it just wasn't a good idea. "I'm not moving into your wife's room with you this soon, it's wrong."

"So move into the guest room, but I think it would be good for the kids to have you there all the time, give Kenny time to really feel comfortable with you, and I know Ellie needs the guidance. She blew up the toaster a few days ago," Opie reasoned.

"Are you sure this isn't just for you?" Willow asked, already feeling herself cave, she felt so at home in Opie's house, her school books scattered with the kinds on the coffee table, her favorite tea in the kitchen, pictures of the Scooby's in the guest room, but she also knew the problem of moving too fast, and as much as she loved the man, felt a connection like she had never felt before, it was still a honeymoon relationship.

"Baby, you know I love you, but honestly, I think this would be good for the kids. They need someone steady and dependable, someone who is always s there. I don't want you to replace Donna, she was my wife, the first woman I loved, she gave me two beautiful children, but I also don't want to stand still, and this, what we're doing, is standing still, and I think its sending the wrong message to Kenny," Opie said, completely serious. "I think he sees this as temporary, like Lyla was temporary."

"I move into the guest room and we continue on as before," Willow said. "No sleep overs in each other rooms, no PDA in front of the kids, we go snail slow."

"Promise," Opie said, she could hear his grin over the phone.

"You know, Ellie asked me if I loved you this morning," Willow lifted the demanding Abel into her lap, while he continued to gnaw on Bast's head.

"Intuitive girl," Opie chuckled. "She asked me the same thing. I told her that I did love you, but that didn't change my love for her mother."

"Good," Willow said. "I told her very nearly the same thing." Willow shifted Abel onto the couch with one of his books, as he lost interest in Bast. "We can move what things I have, in when you get back."

"Should be the day after tomorrow. Tell the kids I love them."

"Will do," Willow smiled. "You make sure all those girls out there know you have two kids and a girl back home, you hear?"

"What girls?" Opie asked, innocence dripping from his voice, teasing her.

"Good boy," Willow laughed. "I love you, Ope."

"And I love you, Willow," Opie said, sounding sad the conversation was wrapping up. "I'll see you soon."

Abel was a great kid to have around, though a bit of a handful at times. In the two months since Willow and Faith had been in Charming, the boy had gone from some pretty aggressive crawling, to walking. A skill he liked to demonstrate often, despite his penchant for falling over and hitting his head on things. Gemma had reassure Willow, after a hysterical phone call the first time she watched the boy, that it was all perfectly normal, and that babies bounce back from these kinds of things. Regardless, Willow set up a small circle for the boy to run around while she did her homework; like a magic playpen, with all kinds of todays and no change of him climbing out. Abel chatted unceasingly with the Goddess Bast, the statue he had been chewing on, apparently having tired himself out after an hour of circling his playpen, while Willow typed up her paper, due by midnight British time.

Willow checked the clock for what had to be the hundredth time since Opie had called. This wasn't the first time he'd left for a few days, it happened at least every other week, and usually Willow was fine with it, she wasn't some clingy girlfriend who couldn't go an hour without her significant other, but this time she had no one but Abel to talk to. Normally Faith would be over bugging the crap out of her or training in the back yard, while she and Abel watched from the porch. It was lonely without her friend.

Willow put the finishing touches on her paper and e-mailed it to her professor, then dumped her computer and text books in the guest room, her room. She felt like such a rebel, having not put her tings carefully away in her bag, but this was her room, and she was going to live in it, not out of a suitcase.

She went back to the living room and got Abel to go pick up Ellie and Kenny from school, and start the daily struggle with Kenny over homework.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Last time: She went back to the living room and got Abel to go pick up Ellie and Kenny from school, and start the daily struggle with Kenny over homework.

Willow picked a happy Faith and a sad Chibs up from the airport the following morning. "So, I take it we got our permits?" Willow asked, as Faith hoisted their bags into the back of Willow's Honda.

"Yep," Faith grinned which was rare for the dark Slayer. "Work starts Monday."

"You either got laid or killed something really big," Willow looked accusingly at Chibs who simply held his hands up and shook his head.

"Can I just be excited about the prospect of living somewhere that there aren't roaches the size of my head?" Faith asked innocently.

"Not in my experience, no." Willow got behind the wheel and started back towards Charming, Chibs quietly entertaining Abel in the back seat. "But, I'll let it go for now."

Willow waited until they dropped Chibs off at the clubhouse and were back at Opie's before she told Faith that she was moving in with her boyfriend. She didn't really expect the Slayer to care, but felt that Opie should be the one to tell the Club and not her.

"So, you're moving out of the roach motel and leaving me all alone?" Faith asked, far more upset then Willow ever thought she would be.

"Honestly, I didn't think you'd care," Willow told her, devastated that she'd upset her friend.

"I haven't lived alone since the mayor, Red." Faith sat down on the couch heavily, pulling Abel into her lap like a security blanket. "I don't want to be that girl again, and I'm scared that I will be if I'm alone."

"You won't be alone, Faith," Willow sat down next to the Slayer, putting her arm around her. "You'll still have all of us, I just won't live there. You'll see me every day, just like before. This way you can actually get away from me."

"I'm a big girl," Faith said, not sounding at all convinced. "What are we going to do once the Site House is built?"

"Don't know," Willow said honestly. "Maybe by that time you and Jax will have stopped dancing around each other."

"Jax is not interested in me. Plus, I don't do relationships." Faith cuddled closer into Abel, who had fallen asleep. "Except maybe with this little killer."

"I've seen the way you two look at each other," Willow said, getting up to get Abel's lunch ready. "Don't let Robin ruin this for you, that man has done enough damage."

"I'm not letting Robin do anything," Faith said, gently putting the sleeping boy down on the couch. "I'm simply not the relationship kind of girl."

"You're scared to get your heart broken, Faith." Willow sat down at the kitchen table after a fruitless adventure into the fridge, making a mental note to go shopping; boys just weren't any good at it. "It's okay, I understand, but you need to stop running some time. Jax is a nice man, he's proved that he's good at really trying to make a relationship work, and he's interested in you."

"I'm a screw and run kind of girl, Red," Faith said, giving it a try with the fridge which wasn't giving up anything. "What have you been feeding thee kids all that's in here is beer." Faith checked the label. "Old beer and mustard."

"I need to go shopping," Willow said unnecessarily. "We all ate out at Clay's last night, they eat lunch at school, and I know there's milk in there."

Faith shook the carton, "not much."

"I'll add it to the list," Willow said, picking up her phone. "The beer's Opie's, he's reluctant to get rid of it, even though he can't drink it."

"Red, I've seen the man pound them back like a champ," Faith said, sniffing one of the bottles and then pouring it down the sink.

"Yeah, but until he learns to control his power a little better, no more alcohol," Willow said blushing at the memory that prompted the no more inebriation rule. "Let's just say he's almost as good at making things vanish as he is at blowing out light bulbs."

"Ah, so no more alcohol because the town of Charming gets miffed when it's deprived of electricity."

"That and my wardrobe can't suffer any more losses, and I haven't figured out were he's vanishing these things to." Willow sent a quick text to Chibs requesting food for lunch. "My occult reference book was difficult to find the first time, I'm a bit reluctant to call Giles and explain what happened to it, since it involved my boyfriend vanishing everything that was distracting me. It was a good thing I wasn't using my computer."

"God, are we pathetic," Faith said, laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. "I can't get my shit together enough to be a grown up, and you have this great boyfriend, whose guest bedroom you live in, and you can't have sex with. It's almost Buffy and Angel all over again."

"Only he won't go evil, there's just the possibility that we'll blow a hole in Charming, definitely the house," Willow said, her face bright red. "Upside, this is a problem we can fix."

"Just promise me," Faith got a wicked smile on her face that Willow wasn't at all sure she liked. "Next time you try, you two get a room in Lodi for the night."

"You're a bitch," Willow went into the living room to check on Abel. "I promise." The boy was sleeping peacefully, clutching Bast in his arms. "It's not going to happen until he have this thing with Kenny worked out, anyway."

"Is it getting really bad?" Faith asked needlessly, seeing how upset her friend was.

"It's always hard when Opie's out of town," Willow sighed. "It's like he feels he has free reign to act up when his dad isn't in his life." Willow paused, she knew that if this boy chose to, he would always see her as the enemy and it made her feel retched inside. "I just wish he wouldn't be so mean to me, or his sister for liking me. I know it sounds very elementary school, but its how I feel."

"You think it has to do with the fact his powers have yet to manifest?" Faith asked. "God, I spend too much time with you and Giles."

"A large vocabulary is nothing to be ashamed of, Faith." Willow brushed the hair on the sleeping Abel's forehead, marveling at the fact that two months before, the youngest kid she was ever around was Oz's cousin, Jordy and he was merely a teenager, and now she spent a great deal of her time with a toddler. "I think that the power is part of it, I also think being a pre-teen has a great deal to do with it, but most of all, he's a young boy, who has lost his mother, is living with a father he barely knows and he sees my presence as his father replacing his mother."

"Give him time," Faith said. "It's got to be terrible."

"I'm happy to give him all the time he needs," Willow said. "The problem is that he's becoming more and more of a discipline problem."

"How about I take him out after school, teach him some martial arts, and get some of that aggression out, Angel taught me some Tai Chi, would be a good way for him to relax a little." Faith picked at her nails with one of her knives, something she did when unsure of herself. "Might make him feel special, too."

"That would be good," Willow patted her friend on the arm, well away from the wicked looking knife. "I spend so much time with his sister and Opie, I feel bad."

"It's no thing, Red," Faith said, putting up her knife. "Chibs and I were going to practice our knife fighting anyhow."" The door opened and closed, signaling Chibs arrival with lunch. "Has she managed to bring a flower to bloom yet?" Faith nodded to the half dozen dirt filled flower pots on the window sill.

"No, those we are growing the old fashioned way, water and sunlight, and they're herbs, Faith."

"I thought magic would be the old fashioned way," Faith took the pre-offered bags form Chibs and wandered into the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

AN: For everyone who has been patiently waiting for this chapter, I'm sorry it's taken so long. Yeah, I suck. For the record though, and this is not an excuse, I did get into a motorcycle accident (yeah I really do ride the things), and then got engaged, so it's been a pretty busy few months. Please enjoy, and don't forget to tip your writer on the way out.

Last time: "I thought magic would be the old fashioned way," Faith took the pre-offered bags form Chibs and wandered into the kitchen.

"Do I even want to know what you two are talking about?" Chibs asked, kissing Willow on the cheek. "It's lovely to see you again."

"You too, Chibs," Willow said, returning his affectionate smile. "Flowers and my lack of them." She pointed towards the pots."

"I see, well why don't you use some of those witchy powers to heat up our chips?" Chibs asked, hooking one of his arms through hers and leading her to the kitchen. "They just never taste right cold."

"French fries, Chibs," Faith scolded, handing Willow the bag of fries. "We live in America, were we call these fries. Chips come in a bag marked Lays."

"You are a cheeky little brat," Chibs told Faith, taking his packet of warm fries from the witch.

"I've been getting lessons from Kerri Ann," Faith said, popping fries in her mouth. "

"How was your visit?" Willow knew that Kerri Ann had missed her father, who had been absent most of her childhood, but she also knew that these stories sometimes end in disappointment. Kids tend to build up their parents up in their minds, especially when they're not around, she just hoped that they had had a nice visit, and possibly reconnected.

"It was nice," Chibs said, smiling down into his burger. "She's grown up into quite the Slayer, Faith was right; she's an ace with blades, and a lovely young lady. Which I attribute mostly to her mother."

"That sounds good," Willow said to Chibs' vague but clearly proud answer. "Are we going to be seeing out little Irish Slayer anytime soon?"

"I'm talking with her mother about the possibility of her spending her summer hols here," Chibs said, finishing off the last of his fries. "She's not too keen on her little girl spending the summer with a bunch of bikers and gun runners, but the fact that you and Faith are here seems to be tipping the balance."

"Well, if you want me to talk to Fiona for you, I'd be happy to." Willow told the Scot, who just nodded.

Willow picked Ellie and Kenny up from school. With a car full of magic users, a cranky teething baby, and a sleeping slayer, Ellie pulled a pop out of Abel's diaper bag and started to freeze it, causing the temperature in the care to rise.

"Remember to balance out the power you use," Willow reminded Ellie, using her teacher voice. "It's not enough to just want the pop to freeze, but to also make sure you don't roast us in the car."

"Right, concentrate, pull power slowly, freeze pop, let the heat created back into the earth," the little witch concentrated a little harder, bringing the temperature in the car back to normal and handing Able his pop.

"We need to remember, like with everything, energy is neither created nor destroyed, simply channeled," Willow said, helping Ellie guide some of the power, since it was harder in a moving car.

"Physics lessons from the witch," Kenny scoffed. "What's next, Abel teaching us algebra?"

"Kenny, I have a degree in physics from Oxford," Willow said, not to mention a degree in ancient languages from UC Sunnydale, and a year into a graduate degree from Oxford, but she was making a point, not showing off. "Just because magic, on the surface looks like it operates outside of the laws of physics that does not mean that it actually does."

"Right," Kenny said, crossing his arms and slouching down into his seat. "I just watched my sister freeze a Popsicle with her mind."

"Yes, by removing the heat from the Popsicle, which is what caused the air in the car to warm up," Willow did not want to try and explain theoretical physics to and elementary school student in the car.

"Whatever," Kenny told her, looking out the window, his arms tight across his chest.

Willow elbowed Faith, as soon as she stopped at a red light. "Faith, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Kenny?"

"Oh great, a bribe." Kenny sunk even further into his chair.

"Not with that attitude I don't." Faith stretched and contemplated hitting Willow back, but thought better of hitting the driver. Willow just looked at her. "Fine, Kenny, Chibs and I were going to go through some tai chi forms, I'm teaching him, and we thought you might like to join us." Faith glared at Willow as unobtrusively as possible.

"My mom doesn't like it when I hand out with Dad's friends," Kenny said, though it was clear he was interested, "She says they're bad influences."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Faith argued, trying not to clench her teeth. "We won't leave the backyard."

"Would it make you feel better to talk to your dad and get his permission?" Willow asked, pulling out her cell phone. She had already talked to Opie about it during his daily call; he'd been thrilled with the idea. Kenny loves martial arts movies, and was deeply into an anime faze, and it was something he could do that Ellie couldn't, mostly because Ellie was beyond uninterested.

"Dad's permission isn't the same as mom's, at least that's what she says," Kenny sounded so sad, it was almost easy to forget he had been acting out at Willow for two months. Making things as difficult on her as possible, at every turn. "But she also said I should cooperate with you more, that I've been mean and you're a good lady and good for dad, and that he's healing with you."

"Kenny, this is very important," Willow said, glad that she had pulled into the driveway before the full weight of what Kenny had said really sank in. "Have you actually seen your mom?"

"Yeah, she came to talk with me last night," Kenny said, waiting for the grown-ups to tell him he was seeing things, he wasn't, he knew it was her.

"Has she ever talked to you before?" Willow asked, Kenny shook his head. "How did she look?"

"She looked like she always did, in her green t-shirt and jeans," Kenny said. "She sat on my bed and told me she missed me, but my dad would take good care of me, and I should be nicer to my sister because I was going to need her someday. She said I shouldn't be so mean to you because you were good for dad, and she had it on good authority that you were a good person, and things had been hard enough for you without me making it worse. She said I was making you sad and I shouldn't do that because if I made you too sad, you might leave and that would hurt dad and Ellie and they have enough hurt."

"I wish I'd had a chance to meet your mom, Kenny," Willow said, feeling tears in her eyes. "I think I would have liked her."

"But then you and dad wouldn't be together," Ellie said.

"Your mom would be here, and that would mean he wasn't sad, he didn't have his heart broken, and it would be worth not having him if it meant they could be together."

"She said you would say that," Kenny said. "I'm still not sure I like you."

"That's okay," Willow looked at the boy, pouting in the back seat. "You don't have to like me, just be nicer."

"Okay," the boy decided. "I think I'd like to learn Tai Chi, Faith."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

AN: So, it's a double post day, since it's been so long since I've posted. Sorry. Please enjoy, and don't forget to tip your writer on the way out.

Last time: "Okay," the boy decided. "I think I'd like to learn Tai Chi, Faith."

Willow could see the bike in the driveway from the end of the block, a black Ducanti, next to Faith's read one. As first she was sure it was Chib's, but the closer she got, she could see that the tank was a matte black, not at all glossy like most of the Sons, and it had a simple blue 'SOA' on the tank. Opie's bike. She had this urge to stop the car and run the last hundred yards to the house, but kept that feeling to herself. Carefully maneuvering her Honda to the right of the bikes, and sedately walking up to the house.

Willow took a deep, cleansing breath before opening the front door, being careful to bleed off any extra energy before she stepped inside. Ellie and Kenny beat Willow through the door, Ellie shouting for Ope, while Kenny dropped his bag by the door and sulked off to his room.

"You okay, Red?" Faith asked, placing a hand on the witch's shoulder.

"I'm fine, I just missed him," Willow smiled at her friend.

"Plus things tend to get a little explosive when you two are apart." Faith grinned at her uncomfortable looking friend. "Let's try and keep the lights on, yeah?"

"That's always our goal," Willow said quietly. "It's just not always a priority."

Opie stuck his head out the front door, wondering what was taking the Scooby's so long. When it didn't look like any official Council business, Opie went over to the girls. A switch threw in Willow, the moment Opie stepped out the front door she could feel the current running between them, and said screw being the adult, she ran the last few steps closing the distance between them and leapt into the bikers arms.

"Surprise," Opie said his gruff voice, soft as he wrapped his arms around his witch.

"Welcome home," Willow closed the distance between them, relishing in the way his whiskers tickled her face as their lips touched.

"Odd," Faith said as she passed the two love birds. "She greeted me the same way when she picked me up at the airport." Opie chuckled softly against Willow's lips. "Don't blow the power." Faith slipped into the house.

"I missed you," Opie whispered, not wanting to break out of their little cocoon of each other, despite the fact that he knew half of the neighborhood was probably watching.

"Missed you too," Willow grinned, letting her lips linger momentarily on the giants, before deepening the kiss. Sparks formed in her belly as Opie's grip tightened around her, and she knew it was time to stop before they put on an involuntary light show for the neighborhood.

Willow unwrapped her legs from around her boyfriend's hips and Opie let her slide gently to the ground. "So, how were the kids?" Opie asked once Willow was safely on to feet again.

"Ellie's coming along well," Willow said, buying time to figure out how to tell Opie that his wife had visited his son, and what that might mean. The wound that Donna had left when she died was a year old now, but that didn't mean that it was healing, not really, she knew Opie loved her, she wasn't worried about what the news of Donna's visit would do to them, but what it would do to Opie, whose control was spotty at best. "I'll be ready to start teaching her basic casting soon. He pencil floating is getting more and more controlled, and she cast a pretty solid circle."

"My daughter's going to start casting before me?" Opie sounded a little put out, but the slow progress of his abilities coupled with the acute sexual frustration of not being able to be with the woman he loved was started to eat at him.

"She's young," Willow said, snuggling into Opie's side. "It's easier for her." Willow hated how hard this was on her giant, nothing seemed to come easy for him, and she just wanted one thing to go his way. "Plus, she doesn't blow up the toaster when she gets frustrated, then try and blame it on someone else." The tips of Opie's ears turned bright pink, and Willow knew he was no longer brooding. "You suck at lying to me."

"I know," Opie said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"Kenny's doing better, too." Willow started, trying not to hedge around what she needed to tell her boyfriend. "We've come to an understanding."

"That's great," Opie hugged her to his side, starting to steer her towards the house, but Willow stayed put. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing," Willow sighed. "Donna yelled at him, told him he had to be nicer to me."

"I'm sorry, did you just tell me that my son's dead mother scolded him for being mean to you?" Opie held Willow at arm's length, looking her directly in the eyes. Willow let him see the truth in her eyes, mildly reassured when he hadn't referred to Donna as his wife, which he had been doing less and less.

"Welcome to my world," Willow said mildly. Opie let go of her arms and wrapped one of his around her shoulder again. Less for her comfort and more for his own.

"So, what does this mean?" Opie asked. "Is this a manifestation of his powers, will she come back and talk to him?" Opie looked to Willow for guidance in these things, and she hated saying she didn't know.

"I haven't had a chance to look into it," Willow told the biker. "He just told me about it on the ride home. Kenny was a pain last night, worse than usual, he refused to do his homework, threw a tantrum at the table when Ellie was turning her fork; it was a long afternoon." Willow took a deep breath. "Any way, he stalked off to his room after dinner, since he was getting sent there anyway, I left it alone. Apparently Donna showed up and laid into him for his behavior and attitude, told him that he was hurting you the way he was acting."

"Have you seen ghosts before?" Opie knew about the First manifesting as dead people to mess with the Balance, but that's not what this sounded like.

"Tara came once, told me to stop trying to be in love, that it would find me, Oz and I had been going through the motions for a while at that point, Tara said that once I let go of the past, I would find someone who fully excepted me, and what I did to Warren, someone who understood the need for revenge, that my darkness would find an equal partner who had just as much light as I did."

"Me?" Opie asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I only saw her that once, but I knew when we did that spell in the woods that Tara was watching and approving." Willow smiled at the biker, "Tara knew I needed you, if who Kenny saw really was Donna, then it very well may be a manifestation of his power, it also might be your wife looking out for her family, it all remains to be seen."

"You're going to call Giles," Opie wasn't asking, he knew Willow well enough that she would call her mentor, it's what she did when she didn't have an answer she felt she should.

"In the morning, give him some time to recover from Faith," Willow lead Opie into the house. Now that the big news she had was over and the risk of damage to the house had passed. "Speaking of, Faith volunteered to teach Kenny some Tai Chi with Chibs this afternoon, if his powers are manifesting, this will help a lot, plus get out of aggression."

"Sounds good, maybe I should join them," Opie said.

"After an hour of meditation, since I can tell you didn't bother while on the road." Opie disappeared into his room, carefully shutting the door behind him. Willow took Abel from Faith and sat at the kitchen table while Ellie did her homework and Kenny learned forms from Faith. She smiled down at the baby, knowing that she was well and truly at home. Now it was time to get Faith settled, and Willow could feel the connection she had with the SOA VP, too bad those two didn't seem to see it.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

AN: Please enjoy, and don't forget to tip your writer on the way out.

Last time: "After an hour of meditation, since I can tell you didn't bother while on the road." Opie disappeared into his room, carefully shutting the door behind him. Willow took Abel from Faith and sat at the kitchen table while Ellie did her homework and Kenny learned forms from Faith. She smiled down at the baby, knowing that she was well and truly at home. Now it was time to get Faith settled, and Willow could feel the connection she had with the SOA VP, too bad those two didn't seem to see it.

Willow sat quietly on her bed meditating her computer humming in the corner the only noise in the house. She could feel Ellie in her room, working on controlling and balancing the elements, lighting candles, and freezing and boiling water. In the four months since Willow had started training her, Ellie's abilities had grown by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, Kenny's magic was nowhere to be seen. According to Giles, the manifestation of Dona meant that Kenny had some latent ability, otherwise she wouldn't have visited. Opie had been thrilled, so had Kenny, but the next two months where nothing but frustrating.

The boy had taken like a duck to water the training that Faith had started to put him through, with Kerri Anne coming to Charming at the end of term in June, only a few weeks away, Kenny was excited about learning beginning knife fighting from the teenaged slayer and her Da.

Opie snuck into Willow's room and sat on the bed opposite her, crossing his legs. Willow opened on eye to look at the giant before closing it again. "How was your run?" Willow asked, settling herself back into her meditation.

"Uneventful," Opie said his voice relaxed and deep, rumbling deep in Willow's belly. "Your day?"

"Quiet," Willow said, allowing Opie to take her small hand in his warm ones. "Construction is picking up at the Cara Cara house."

"Is Faith still pissed that you asked if Jax would be okay with her living in his guest room until its done?" Opie was fully on board with operation get Jax and Faith to stop being stupid and stubborn and admit their feelings already, which Willow had dubbed operation crow slayer.

"Yep," Willow said, lying back on the pillows, letting her shields down while still holding Opie's hands. It was an exercise they did every day since they had last blown the power out in Charming, a month before. It was the one time they had actually let themselves get carried away, and have sex, but it was worth being without power for a week. Clay had been pissed, but had responded positively to Willow's suggestion to keep Opie in town until they could get all of this under control. "She's still not talking to me, but at least she's started bringing Abel over again."

"That's good," Opie got comfortable against the pillows and lowered his shields very slowly.

An hour without incident, not even an over seen spark, left both satisfied. Willow traced the letters of Opie's tattoo across his chest, circling her fingers over the Anarchy symbol just below his collar bone. "Gemma wants me to get one," Willow broke the silence, intent on the careful lettering.

"One what?" Opie let his eyes drift closed as Willow traced the lines across his chest, completely relaxed for the first time in months.

"A tattoo," Willow said, she loved that she could touch him without worrying about the fate of the light bulbs in the room. "She said all old ladies have them and it's time for me to make that commitment."

"She wants you to get a crow eater tattoo," Opie opened his eyes and stopped Willows hands across his chest.

"You don't think I should," Willow tried to pull her hands from Opie's, but he wouldn't let her. Gemma had been very specific on the meaning of the crow eater tattoo, it strengthened her commitment to the Club, to your man, and with it came rights and responsibilities, but it also made you family. If Opie didn't want her to get it, it meant he wasn't planning on her sticking around. He had gotten what he wanted, his control over his magic, they had proved that by having very enthusiastic sex for the past hour without incident. Maybe that's all she had been, a means to an end.

"Of course I want you to get it," Opie said leaning up on his elbow, looking down into her eyes, his hand still trapping hers against his chest. "Willow, I just want you to want it, not have Gemma pressure you."

"Did Donna have one?" Willow had seen Gemma's and a few of the other women had them, but Gemma had been weird when she asked about Donna.

"Donna didn't want anything to do with the Club, most days it was hard to tell if she really wanted me," Opie said, sitting up fully. "She never got a crow eater, refused the Club's help when I was inside, and generally shunned anything to do with the Sons." Opie sighed, they had been living with Donna's ghost since Kenny had seen her, she wasn't a visible presence, but the air in the house had grown heavy, talking about her made her feel more real and with the way his relationship was going with Willow, her acceptance of all of him and the ease of his happiness, he didn't want Donna any more real than the ghostly presence.

"I never really though about getting a tattoo before," Willow snuggled back now against Opie's side, relishing in their ability to touch without a back wash of magic. "I mean, Faith has some, and has tried to talk me into getting one over the years, but I never did."

"You don't have any tattoos?" Opie lifted the sheet they had been tucked under, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I hadn't noticed." He attacked Willow's sides with his long fingers, causing the Red head to shriek with laughter.

"Stop," Willow laughed, tangling herself in the sheets in attempt to get away from her boyfriends talented hands. "Opie, stop please," Opie redoubled his efforts, rewarded with another shriek from the writhing witch, who promptly toppled off the bed, taking the sheets with her.

"Nope, don't see any tattoos," Opie grinned down at the red head, who threw a pillow at him for his efforts. Opie was in the process of putting the pillow behind his head when a knock came at the door, followed by a small blonde head poking in. Opie quickly dropped the pillow over his lap and did his best to look as innocent and dignified as possible. Willow sat up, gathering the hopelessly tangled sheets about herself, silently wishing for a hole in the floor to open and swallow her.

"Ellie, what did I tell you about opening doors before you were asked in?"

"That I might see more then I wanted," Ellie replied, completely unabashed. "Dad, the neighbors know what you two have been doing, I'm pretty sure all of Sam Cro knows." Willow turned bright red and tried to burry herself in the sheets, contemplating climbing under the bed, but decided her prided couldn't take anything quite that undignified.

"Yes, precisely," Opie said, trying to look unconcerned about the fact that his kids had obviously heard him having sex. "But what I actually said was, don't."

Ellie just shrugged her shoulders. "Some British guy's here to see Willow."

"What's his name?" Willow knew lots of British guys, though only a few who knew where she lived, or who would bother to show up. Completely forgetting her embarrassment over being caught naked in bed by her boyfriend's daughter, Willow gathered the sheet around herself and started toward the bathroom, grabbing clean clothes on the way.

"He didn't say, just that he was looking for you," Ellie said, pointing towards the lamp by the bed, as Willow closed the bathroom door. "Does that mean Willow's moving into your room, cause I think her friend might need a place to stay?"

Opie looked up to where his daughter was pointing, a pair of bright orange boy shorts dangled from the lampshade. He covered his eyes with one hand and waved Ellie out with the other. "Just tell him we'll be out in a minute."


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

AN: Please enjoy, and don't forget to tip your writer on the way out.

Last time: Opie looked up to where his daughter was pointing, a pair of bright orange boy shorts dangled from the lampshade. He covered his eyes with one hand and waved Ellie out with the other. "Just tell him we'll be out in a minute."

A few minutes later a very embarrassed Willow and a mildly annoyed Opie stepped out of the guest bedroom. Opie swung his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, pulling her closer. "It could have been worse," Opie said, kissing her on the top of her head.

"We promised to keep this stuff away from the kids," Willow said, looking up at her biker. "I felt like a naughty kid when she walked in."

"Like I said, it could have been worse," Opie squeezed the witch before letting her go and taking her hand. "She asked if you were moving into my room, said that it would be good, since she thinks your friend needs a place to stay."

"That girl is too smart for her own good," Willow said. "Or mine."

"Is that a yes?" Opie asked hopefully, stopping the witch in the hallway, hands on her shoulders.

"This is not snail pace, this is more like rabbit," Willow said, putting her hands on the giant's arms, feeling the deep throbbing connection.

"It feels like tortious to me," Opie said, leaning down, bringing his face to her level. "Is that a yes?"

"It's a maybe," Willow replied. "It's a, let's see who my friend in the living room is."

In the living room two blond heads were bent over the coffee table watching a pencil steadily turn in circles in midair. "Billy Idol is in my living room," Opie whispered to Willow. "And he doesn't look a day over thirty."

Spike looked up at Willow and winked before turning back to Ellie, who slowly lowered the pencil to the coffee table letting it rest with a small click. "Very impressive, bit." Spike stoop up, whipping an invisible bit of dust off of his black jeans.

"Spike," Willow said quietly, having not seen the vampire in years. "What brings you to Charming?"

"Old Rups thought you could use some help with your vampire problem," Spike said, grinning. "And who better than the Big Bad himself?"

"It's good to see you," Willow embraced the bleached Brit, breathing in the familiar scent of cigarettes and leather that she had come to be surrounded by every day, Spike would like it here. "Spike, this is my boyfriend, Opie Wilson." Opie held out his hand to the Billy Idol look alike. "Opie, this is Spike, aka William the Bloody or William Pratt." The boys shook hands.

"So, the Witch is driving stick again," Spike leered, tussling Willow's already well tussled hair. "Goon on ya, Mate. Recently shagged looks good on you, Red."

"I thought only Faith called you Red," Ellie said. "What's shagged?" She asked, looking pointedly at her father.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Opie said, covering his eyes again and pointing toward the kitchen. "Why don't you go order something for all of us for dinner and let the grown-ups talk." Ellie just shrugged her shoulders and wondered off into the kitchen.

"She's like a mini Tara," Spike smiled fondly at Willow. "You're teaching her right."

"I'm trying," Willow said, threading her fingers with Opie's and leading them over to the couch. "So, what brings you here to Charming, Spike? The real reason."

"Like I said," Spike took up a seat on the chair opposite the couch, flopping back like he owned the place. "Old Ripper thought you could use a hand with this vampire problem. I hear you got a bunch of fledges but haven't seen hide nor hair of a master."

"And the other reason?" Willow lifted her eyebrow and leaned forward on the couch.

"You've known me for too long, Red," Spike said, Willow made a continue gesture and Spike sighed. "Buffy's got some wild hair up her ass about being almost thirty, said soon she'd look too old for me." Spike shook his head. "I told her I stayed with Dru for a hundred years and that bitch was madder than a hatter, what difference was a few grey hairs going to make? Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, cause I found myself on the sidewalk with my blanket in the middle of the afternoon. Giles suggested I come out here and help until Buffy becomes sane again." Spike chuckled humorlessly. "It could be a while."

"I guess that means we need a guest room," Willow said with mock reluctance.

"Really?" Opie said, his smile resembling that of a kid in a candy store. "I'll move your stuff." He was off the couch and out of the room before Willow could say anything else.

Spike raised his eyebrows, but Willow just shook her head very slowly. "It's a long story."

"You're living in the guest room, kind of a short story," Kenny said, coming in from his workout with Faith. He made as if to plop down on the couch, but Willow stopped him.

"Not until you shower," Willow told the boy, who pouted. "No stinky, sweaty boys on the couch."

"But girls are okay?" Kenny asked.

"Just shower," Willow said, not missing Spike's amused expression, and she pointed her finger at him, giving him a warning look.

"Don't I get an introduction?" Kenny asked, eyeing the blond stranger in his living room.

"After you shower," Willow said, turning her finger towards the hallway. "For the record," Willow said once the boy had left the room. "I showered before I came out here." The vampire just nodded sagely.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Balance of Power

Author: RogueWitch

Summary: Sequel to Hard Road, Willow and Faith are settling in Charming, but with new relationships forming, and the complications that come with the Sons, how will the two warriors for the Powers come to terms with business as usual in Charming?

Disclaimer: I own neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sons of Anarchy; I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

AN: Please enjoy, and don't forget to tip your writer on the way out.

Last time: "After you shower," Willow said, turning her finger towards the hallway. "For the record," Willow said once the boy had left the room. "I showered before I came out here." The vampire just nodded sagely.

Willow stared up at the ceiling of Opie's bedroom, listening to the sounds of the house settling. Opie was sound asleep, his arm thrown across her waist and his face buried in her pillow. Willow couldn't sleep. It had nothing to do with Opie, though they had never shared a bed, nor the fact that she felt like she was treading on Donna's territory, since Lyla had already done that, but the fact that Spike was there making the vampire problem all the more real.

Faith had been steadily slaying two or three vamps a night, and in a town as small as Charming, that was more than a little troubling. Thing was, they weren't from Charming. Like any good Watcher, or Scooby for that matter, Willow had been scouring the papers for obituaries, but found nothing out of the ordinary. She would have thought nothing of it, and had been ignoring it for a while, but the fact of the matter was, these vamps had to be coming from somewhere, and for something.

Willow had barely felt a blip form the site since she and Opie had closed it four months before, so something else had to be drawing all of these vamps in.

"What's wrong, baby?" Opie asked, his eyes barely open. "You need to get some sleep."

"Nothing, just thinking," Willow turned to the biker and kissed him gently, snuggling down against his warmth, lazy sparks of magic igniting between them.

"Is this okay?" he didn't elaborate on what 'this' was, but Willow knew it was her move, and honestly she wasn't sure. While she knew she loved this man, was contemplating getting a tattoo to show the world whose girl she was, but for some reason, moving into his room and sleeping in the bed he once slept in with his wife felt wrong to Willow. She refused to hurt him by saying so; she'd broach the subject of a new bed after she got her croweater tattoo.

"I love you," she kissed him again and laid her head against the reaper on his sternum. I want the tattoo."

"I'll take you," said Opie. "We can go Saturday; kids can stay with Piney for the day."

"It's okay, I can go with Gemma," Willow said, lazily letting her magic trickle down her fingers and make sparks across his arm while he did the same to her. His control was getting so much better, Willow couldn't have been more proud.

"No," the biker insisted. "I want to take you."

"Okay," the witch snuggled deeper into the covers, closing her eyes, resolved to worry about the vampires after she did some serious worrying about the tattoo needle. "But tomorrow, I don't want too much time to think about the pain."

"You'll be fine," Opie said, smoothing her long hair down her back, tucking the blanket around their waists. "Now go to sleep, you think too loud."

"Night, Opie," Willow murmured, letting the beat of his heart lull her.

"Good night, baby," Opie smiled in contentment, his children were safe and happy, he had a wonderful woman in his life who loved him and adored his kids, even the bratty one, and things were settling for the Club; life was good. They just had a vampire problem, a depressed master vampire with a soul in their spare room and his best friend wouldn't admit he was in love with an equally stubborn slayer. All things that were fixable.

Willow sat backwards in a barber chair at two the next afternoon, watching a man open packets of needles. He showed her each one, both in the hard plastic wrapping, and out. She watched him fit the smallest into the machine, the tube of which he had shown her being taken out of the autoclave wrapping. Opie held her hand while the artist turned on the machine, which made a gentle buzz, and rolled behind her. He squeezed some green soap onto a paper towel and wiped it across the stencil on her lower back.

"Are we ready?" the artist had a deep voice that was completely at odds with his small frame, his appearance falling somewhere between a kind in an emo band and a biker, but Opie trusted him, so Willow did too.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll ever be ready for a bunch of needles to vibrate through my skin," Willow said into the headrest of the chair. Opie squeezed her hand reassuringly. "But if you're ready, then we should get this over with." Buffy had told her years ago about the horrors of getting her one and only tattoo; which she had removed in LA the next spring. Ethan Rayne had tied her down and branded her with Eygon's symbol prison style. Buffy told her how much it had hurt, how bad it was afterwards, and how much it sucked getting it removed. Granted, they had only been seventeen at the time. Faith had other stories about getting ink, Opie just said that they could be addictive, something to do with the rush of adrenalin that your body gives off.

The first bite of the needles made Willow's eye's water, but soon the combination of the buzz of the machine, they rhythmic thrum of the needle against her skin and Opie's thumbs making circles against her palms, sent Willow to sleep.

Willow woke to the cold press of a wet cloth against her back and the slightly chemical smell of witch-hazel. Her back felt raw and bruised and her head felt full of cobwebs, but overall she felt fine. Opie smiled at her from his chair and stretched.

"Hey, baby," he smiled at her, their own privet smile meant only for her, every ounce of love he had for the witch transmitting through his mouth and out of his eyes. "How you feeling?"

"Fine, but fuzzy," Willow smiled back at her biker, and he was her biker, she had a brand new tattoo to prove it. "My butts wet."

"Its witch-hazel, it'll pull the blood out of the color," Opie stood and addressed the artist, talking price and care.

"I'm going to go over the care instructions with you, though any of the Sons can remind you if you forget," Willow had found that outside of the Club, most people talked to the old ladies like they couldn't rub two brain cells together, people did the same with the Cara Cara girls. Sometimes this was an advantage, if people assumed you were stupid they underestimated you. On the other hand, you didn't last long as an old lady if you weren't as sharp as a tack, and Willow resented being talked to like she was three; at the end of the month she would be awarded her Master of Occult Mythology from Oxford, in another three she would start work on her Doctoral thesis, she was far from stupid.

"I'm sure Opie is perfectly capable of explaining it to me in a way my little brain can understand," Willow reached back and removed the wet paper towel from her lower back and stood up.

"You insulted her intelligence, didn't you," Opie took the towel from her and deposited it in the waste basket. "You can't do that when she had low blood sugar, she gets grouchy."

Willow stopped listening to the men discusses her grumpiness and opted instead to admire her ink. She turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder. Just above the swell of her butt was a crow in flight, its wings stretching towards her hips, thorny vines in bloom with rose buds wrapped around the black and gray wings, though you couldn't see the birds talons, it was clearly holding a scythe in them, the blade of which starched over one with, blood dripping from the blade and the thorns. Green and black and red, perfect.

Opie noticed her lack of interest in his dressing down of the tattoo artist and went to join her at the mirror. "It's beautiful," he said, kissing her forehead.

"And you're going to have to say good-bye to it for a few hours," the artist said, coming up to them with a bandaged and tape. "Keep this on for no more than two, no less than one hour, then wash it with anti-bacterial soap until it feels like normal skin, rub a small amount of A and D into it, rub it in hard, it should look like there is only a little lotion on your skin when you're done. You don't want any left on the skin because if there's too much on the skin, the skin can't breathe and it'll start to push the ink out, if there isn't enough ointment, it'll scab, which you also don't want."

"I'll make sure she's got it right," Opie said, helping Willow untuck her shirt from under the back of her bra.

"Just make sure to keep it moisturized and wash it three or four times a day for at least the first two weeks."


End file.
